I’ve made a new best friend in the form of an anaesthetic cream (LMX) with 4% lidocaine. We get on really well together but I don’t want to abuse our relationship.
Do you think it might be harmful if I empty all 5gms (containing 40mg lidocaine/1g cream) of it onto an area of my skin?
The risk of poisoning increases with a high dose of a single type of substance. It is safer to combine the same amount in two different types of anesthetics used one twice.
Body weight and age of the person is a required to prescribe the right dose.
The deaths that have happened give us a clue. Don’t cover your entire legs and genital area with anesthetic, and then wrap it all up with plastic wrap and then spend 2 hours with it soaking in your skin.
I think the problems happened with specially compounded topicals of a much higher concentration than either Emla or L-M-X applied over extremely large areas.
A 30 gm tube of Emla costs about 50 bucks, so unless you are independently wealthy you should probably only use a limited amount for one session. If anyone is buying the 5gm tubes they are probably paying more per gm than if they bought the larger 30gm tube.
I don’t think 5 mg is dangerous. I’ve used several times that before some sessions if I was covering a larger area.
The problems in the past have been with some of the specially compounded topicals which are much higher concentrations than these over the counter types.
thanx 4 the replies. Yes, by 5 gms I meant 5 grammes rather than 5 milligrammes. Maybe theres a difference in abbreviations across the pond.
I had very little idea about any deaths caused by lidocaine, as it is available so freely and with little warning. So I shall need to do some more research on it. I might try going on their website.
With 30min exposure I would have to arrive at the clinic early and apply it there. But probably not a good idea to smear it all over at home and then travel with it under the scorching summer sun anyway.